Teach English in Germany

Just the names Albert Einstein, Karl Marx, Martin Luther and Beethoven alone conjure up German culture and life. This country is filled with 400-year-old villages, castles and cobblestones, as well as spectacular nature.  Exploring the Black Forest or venturing into the Alps will remind you of the beauty of this country.

Since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the reunification of its Eastern and Western parts, Germany is by far one of the main players in the EU. The Cold War tension has disappeared, and instead an era of tolerance and experimentation can be found in its place. Berlin is a direct example of this spirit, as well as being the cultural epicentre of Germany.  Berlin’s arty vibrant energy, glamour and its down-to-earth attitude endears it to those who visit it.  It also contains examples of stunning German architecture.

Food also has a central place in this culture. The winter fairs serving hot wine, schnitzel, sausages, black forest cake and frothy beer are all there for the traveller to savour.  Germany also has some of the best infrastructure in the world.  This makes it extremely easy to travel and to live.  It has brilliant and efficient transport connections.  Germany is also an ideal place to explore the rest of Europe.  It has nine borders, neighbouring Denmark in the north, Poland and the Czech Republic in the east, Austria and Switzerland in the south and France, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands in the west.

Some iconic German dishes and food includes Sauerkraut, Sausages and Brezeln, these are among the most well known German food exports. In Germany, people are very fond of fresh bread, bread rolls and pretzels plus amazing sweet cakes and pastry in the many bakery shops. Most villages have a number of bakers in each town so your choice of many different types of bread and rolls.

There is no denying that people from Germany really enjoy meat, however that is not to say that you won't find amazing vegetarian dishes in restaurants. But it is true that you will find more variations of meat dishes available. Schweinebraten oder Schweinsbraten is a common dish in Southern Germany which is essentially roast pork knuckles. Rinderbraten is popular in Northern Germany and is a form of beef roast. Birthdays are celebrated in Germany like most countries, however they believe that is it in fact bad luck to celebrate birthday early. They feel that the thinking roughly equates to “don’t count your chickens before they hatch”. The overriding emotion is that an early congratulation for a birthday shows the recipient that they may die before he or she celebrates the actual birthday.

Teaching Opportunities

Education, knowledge, and the pursuit of perfection mean that education providers need to meet the high expectations that German’s have of their learning experiences. As a result of this, the EFL market is open to those candidates that have a degree, a 120-hour TEFL certificate and are native speakers. The fact that Germany is heavily engaged in international business means that the business English market is a large sector in which to look for job opportunities, as is the adult general English sector. Many business clients are seeking to push their language skills to an advanced level and beyond. 

There are fewer opportunities in Berlin and other major cities, due to the competition and expense. It is easier to find work in smaller cities or large towns. When considering a position in Germany, it is important that you factor in the high tax rate before you accept.  If your job is not a full-time position, you will be hit with heavy taxes. That is why it is important to try to secure a full-time contract in order to ease your tax bill. Freelancers are particularly hard hit in this way. Most contracts offer approximately 25 hours of teaching.